


Diffused Light

by Xazz



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Baby guardians, Gen, Hunters, Implied Cayde/Andal, M/M, New Guardians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:41:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28947579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xazz/pseuds/Xazz
Summary: Deep in the Clovis Bray facility on Mars lies a place where experiments were supposed to die.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. Ghost Fragment: EXO Gravehoard

**Author's Note:**

> So I've wasted like 1500 hours to this damn game. I might as well actually write fanfic for it now. It's _mostly_ canon compliant because destiny canon is uhhhhhhh very good. But I'm taking some liberties because Bungo likes it not tell us shit.
> 
> Tags/characters will be added as they appear. I’m not quite sure how to tag this since the canon characters show up but it’s mostly a story about my two stupid hunters and their dumbass titan “friend”. (Friend is a strong word for Fletcher)

Deep in the Clovis Bray facility on Mars lies a place where experiments were supposed to die.

=-=-=

If there was a light at the end of the tunnel it was shaped like a Ghost. Little whirls on an impossible gyroscope filtered through the darkness. A single point of light in a deep darkness in a long locked away part of Mars that not even Holborn’s Host had yet to find. For all their might they were too big and couldn’t fit through the cracks. The Brays had dug deep into Mars, as deep as the Cabal, and secrets still lay buried since the Golden Age.

Slowly the Ghost made way in the darkness. Minutes ticked by as it descended into the unknown. Then, a ray of light slanted across a floor half covered in sand. The Ghost turned up and around but the room was so great and vast that not even it could find the edge. At the edge of its light beam it caught sight of fingers and floated over towards it, spinning a half turn in curiosity.

It slowed as it neared the hand and passed its light up. Before it was a heap of the dead. EXOs. A graveyard. A scrapyard. The amount of them vanished into the darkness beyond what the light could penetrate. It seemed instead to go on forever.

Click, tick, whirr.

The Ghost started to scan. First one EXO, then another. Its shell clicked and spun as it searched. In the silence of the darkness it sounded like the ticking of a bomb.

The EXOs here were old. Incredibly old. Even by Golden Age standards. Guardian models were standard for the time. Humanoid head for the most part, two eyes, artifical mouth, looked like a human. These EXOs came in all shapes. Some of them had block heads, others no mouth or eyes. Others had a dozen eyes or were etched with some sort of sensor that acted like eyes. There were EXOs with hands with too many and too few fingers, and too many arms, some in the same configuration as the Fallen and others sprouting from their backs. The oddest ones were the most inhuman, the most dead. The Ghost found not even a spark of life, and no anchor for the Light in the ones who looked so strange. Many of these strange shaped EXOs had never really been alive. Whatever made up the mechanical mind and soul of EXOs hadn’t dwelled within these ones. They felt too unused. Prototypes. Or failed research that had lived past their usefulness. Just throw them down a hole, their bodies not even good enough for spare parts. Or perhaps sentimental humans felt too much for their lifeless children to take them apart.

The Ghost turned away from the pile with remorse. There was nothing in here. Just machinery.

It started to float away when its last desperate scan of the area flashed across an EXO buried under several of its others. The Ghost went down to it and flashed, scanned the EXO. Its shell spun in opposite directions quickly. Life. Actual life. Not just life though. The Ghost had found a potential Guardian!

When pressed into becoming there was no resistance. Circitry kick started as Light washed through the EXO’s frame, fixing old and rusted joints and joins, soldering chips and boards that made up its mechanical brain. The last thing that came online were the eyes. Yellow eyes as perfect glowing circles.

“Eyes up, Guardian,” the Ghost said and it spun its shell as its new Guardian looked up at them from under its dead brethren. “I’ve been looking for you a long time.”


	2. Ghost Fragment: Brothers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey remember when we had ghost fragments as lore drops and not straight up books to read? Yeah. Tells how old this thing is. Yikes

Two Lights in the Dark.

=-=-=

The EXO dragged itself out from its brothers, crawling and climbing around the limbs and bodies of the lifeless things around it. No, not an it, him. EXOs were as deserving of pronouns as anyone. The Ghost watched as he finished climbing out of pile. Then he stood above them, illuminated by the single ray of light in the room he’d died in. The Ghost turned the back of its shell slowly, watching him. Had had to make due with what it could but with all the extra parts around the armor was more than servicable.

“Where am I?” the EXO asked. They had no visible mouth, the bottom of their head a single piece of curved metal. Lights flickered along his jaw to indicate speech but that was all.

“Mars,” the Ghost said.

“Mars?” the EXO blinked, the eyelids clicking as the mechanical parts of their face moved. “Who are you?”

“I’m your Ghost.”

“Who am I?”

With a click whirl the Ghost expanded a bit in uncertainty and spun its back shell. “You’re a Guardian.”

The EXO looked at his arms. Anything to find a piece of information. A serial code, a number, any point of reference. There were none. He looked at the Ghost. “Who am I?”

“A Guardian, you serve the Light,” the Ghost said, “and I’m your Ghost. I know you have many questions. We’ll answer them all once we get you out of here. We need to return to where I last saw Holborn’s Host. They’ll be able to take you back to the City.”

“What’s that?” the EXO had only been half listening and was looking out in the darkness. There was another light out there. The Ghost moved up to be next to their Guardian. Worried. It could be Vex. It could be Cabal. A newly raised Guardian could handle either of them but they had nothing and it would be a real fight if they had to take on an enemy as they were. No weapons, only the Light.

“Hey! Where are you going?” the Ghost followed as the EXO started walking across the bodies of the other dead EXOs. He climbed over them like they were trees and roots he had to manuver around.

“There’s another light,” was all he said. The Ghost spun in anxiety but followed anyway. They couldn’t let their Guardian fall after just being raised.

They walked across the feild of dead EXOs like some horrible moonscape before out of the unpenatrable darkness another figure appeared in the Ghost’s light. Another EXO. It was built similar to their Guardian except it had a mouth and the head shape was different. And where its Guardian was painted in muted grays and blues this new one was stark white with red designs sprawled across its face and curled around its body. The white was smeared with dirt, grit, and dried radiolarian fluid. And its eyes. Their color was like that of Arc Light and horizontally oval.

“You’re alive,” said the new EXO.

“Who’re you?” the Ghost’s Guardian asked.

“I’m Alshain-2,” he said. “Who’re you?”

“I don’t know,” said the Guardian. “Do you know me? You seem like you do.”

“No. But everyone else is dead,” Alshain-2 looked across the dead EXOs around them. “Now I’m not alone. Neither are you.”

The Guardian looked over at the Ghost, “I wasn’t alone. How do we get out of here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, that’s helpful isn’t it?”


	3. Ghost Fragment: Light

And then they found the Light.

=-=-=

It was days before they saw the sun again. The Ghost never knew it’d be happy to see the barren, featureless, landscape of Mars until it no longer had to guide its Guardian out of the EXO scrapyard pit.

The two EXOs stood in the light and stared at the sun for the first time. Alshain reached over and grabbed its Guardian’s shoulder. “We made it,” he said to them.

“We did,” their Guardian said. “Now what?”

“Now let’s find you a name, brother.”


	4. EXO 1.0.0.1

After an eternal darkness at the bottom of a hole he was grateful to be out in the light. He could feel the warmth of the sun even on his metal skin and like a warmer pulsing inside his chest. It was comforting despite how cold Mars was which didn’t bother him. He’d tolerate the chill of Mars for the warmth on his face he loved.

What he didn’t love was how fucking sandy this miserable planet was.

Every night when he and Alshain eventually had to stop to rest their minds their Ghosts had to go over them to clear out the dust and sand that had worked its way into their joints and seams in their metal flesh. It didn’t take long but since they were both without clothes it was annoying as it was a full body clean. And it wasn’t fun to feel sand particulate being forced out of your seams by the Light.

“Where are we going again?” Alshain asked for not the first time in their three day trek after they’d had the sand removed for the day. Nights on Mars were frigid without the sun. Thankfully it only felt cold on the topographic metal of their bodies.

“Olympus Mons,” his ghost reminded him.

“Why?” Alshain blinked in confusion. He got confused easily. He just thought his brother had a lot more to think about so he forgot. He didn’t have that problem.

“Holborn’s Host has an outpost there. We’ll be able to find them there,” she said patiently. He wished his Ghost was half as patient. His Ghost always seemed frustrated with him. Attentive, but frustrated.

“What’s a Host? What’s a Holborn?” Alshain squinted at his Ghost.

“It’s a collection of Guardians,” she said, again not for the first time this journey. He thought Alshain just liked hearing his Ghost talk and he did remember what she said. She was normally so quiet. “And Holborn is the leader.”

“Huh. Right. How far do we have to go?”

She looked at his Ghost hovering just over his shoulder. “A few more days, less than a week if the weather holds,” his Ghost said.

“And if it doesn’t?” Alshain asked, blue eyes tired.

“A few more days than that,” his Ghost said and he heard the back of its shell turn in annoyance. If he was frustrated by his own Guardian his Ghost was absolutely over dealing with Alshain’s stupid questions.

“You think there will be other EXOs in the Host?” he asked, just to change the subject.

“I don’t recall the Host’s roster. There may be, why?” his Ghost asked.

“Maybe they can help me find my designation,” he shrugged. “Or help Alshain with the memory problem he’s got.”

“Hey now. I just haven’t had to use these boards in like four centuries, cut me some slack here,” Alshain complained.

“Mine work fine,” he said.

“You can’t even remember your damn name,” Alshain’s eyes flickered in a way that mimicked an eye roll.

“Well neither did you,” Alshain’s Ghost said helpfully. Alshain scowled at her. “Oh,” and she hid behind Alshain’s shoulder.

“Might as well get some rest,” he said. “Big day tomorrow.”

“Pft, yeah, more walking,” Alshain grumbled.

“It could be worse,” he said.

“Yeah, how you figure?”

“We could have been intercepted by Vex,” Alshain’s Ghost said.

“Hmm? What’s that?”

“The enemy,” his Ghost said sternly. “Something you’ll learn about once we get you both back to the City.”

“Heard that before,” Alshain huffed and laid down on the sand of the spot they’d decided to stop. “Place must be pretty great if it’s going to answer all my questions.”

“It will,” his Ghost said firmly.

He laid down next to Alshain, taking his Ghost in hand. It shifted a bit in his fingers but didn’t protest. “Just a few more days,” he said.

“If the weather holds,” Alshain said, always the pessimist. He grabbed his Ghost who was hovering over his shoulder and mimicked his pose holding his Ghost close to his chest. While they’d seen nothing and no one since they’d come out of that pit a lot of Mars just concealed buried buildings, tunnels, and roads. Plenty of places for unknown enemies to hide. Enemies that wanted to shatter the Light within their Ghosts. They didn’t know how much their bare bodies would do to protect their Ghosts but a metal chassis could take a few bullets better than a Ghost who were so light, made of some material lighter than air, but didn’t bend when you touched it. At the very least it made them both feel better.

“Night,” Alshain said.

The lights that were his mouth flickered as he said, “Don’t dream.” Alshain’s eyes dimmed and shuttered closed. He followed suit after as the icy Martian night began.


	5. EXO 1.0.0.2

There was something in the distance. He didn’t know what it was at first. “You see that?’ he pointed.

Alshain looked. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh refracted light from the sun that made the very air glow from all the dust. “What is that?”

“We need to keep moving,” his Ghost said, urgently.

“Don’t mind it,” Alshain’s Ghost said.

“But what is it?”

“Interceptor. Forward scout. There must be a base around here,” his Ghost said, troubled.

“There’s no data on a base or outpost this far from the Buried City,” Alshain’s Ghost said worriedly.

“We’ll tell the Host when we see them. Now we should keep moving.”

Alshain was staring at the shape in the distance. “Alshain,” he called.

Alshain looked at him, “You feel that?”

“Huh? Feel what?”

“I dunno,” he shook his head and let him pull Alshain with him, following the insistence’s of their Ghost.

But if they’d spotted the Interceptor it had also spotted them. It changed directions, headed straight for their position. “Ah-“ he gasped when both Ghosts shimmered out of sight as the Interceptor drew closer and they could make out the shape of a rider behind the fat front.

‘Still here, always,’ his Ghosts voice was in his head. But where?

He didn’t have time to think about that. The Interceptor was closer now. They could see the pilot. Pilots? There was something huge sitting in the machine, stacked with heaps of armor. Clinging behind it, seemingly holding on to a thick pauldron, was a creature who even at a distance looked as tight and narrow as the driver was sluggish and wide.

“We should keep moving if we can,” Alshain said.

“Do we run?” he asked.

“Maybe?” Alshain didn’t know either. The Interceptor was still a ways off. They didn’t run but they did walk faster.

An explosion went off a few feet behind them, making them jump. He turned and saw the Interceptor had changed shape, widened in the front. He ducked when it shot a rocket at him. “Hey! Careful with that thing!” Another shot hit almost right in front of them, throwing them both to the ground. He was glad he didn’t need to breathe, there was so much dust in the air from the explosion.

There was a hum that became a growl that became a deadly thrum in the sand as the Interceptor got close. His sensors were still ringing from the explsion. There was creaking of metal as he looked up. The huge thing was getting off the Interceptor but that wasn’t what he was looking at.

The thing had a gun.

He stared down the barrel of some strange rifle he knew nothing about but in an instant knew everything about it. The being said something garbled over the speakers in its helm. He didn’t move from where he was partially pushed up from the dirt, looking into the dark tunnel in front of him.

Then without realizing what he was doing he grabbed the end of the barrel and as hard as he could snapped it back right into the being’s helmet. It made a satisfying thud sound as the stock slammed into its face. The being roared, be it from surprise or pain. He yanked the gun back towards him and ripped it out of the thing’s hands.

Only once he was trying to hold it did he realize it was way too big. Heavier than he thought too. But he still brought it up, aiming for the head and had to use three fingers just to pull the massive trigger.

Click!

He looked down in confusion at the gun. The readout said it had fifteen bullets in it.

That was all he could think before the mighty palm of the creature swatted at him and sent him flying. He landed hard on the ground, the gun wrenched from his grasp from the strike. He could hear the thing gurgling and howling furiously.

Well that hadn’t worked out as planned.

‘Bio specific weaponry. They’ve been shot by Guardians with their own guns a few too many times,’ his Ghost said so helpfully into his mind. Would have been great to know that ten seconds ago!

He scrambled to his feet, feeling the sand and dirt in every crack and seam as he went. The mighty thing was aimed at him again since picking up its gun. He couldn’t see its face but he had to guess it was pissed when it opened fire on him. A few bullets dinged his chassis but he rolled and scrambled away. Not that there was anywhere to hide. This part of Mars as barren of even boulders.

“Hey! Leave him alone,” he heard Alshain yell.

“Idiot. You should have run,” he yelled back.

Alshain had a mouth to smile with, and it was wreckless. “Yeah right,” and then he did something he’d never seen him do before.

He exploded.

Well. Metaphorically. Though that would have been pretty cool if he’d actually exploded.

No he exploded in blinding blue light that seared his eyes to look directly at. Then in his hand was... a sword. A comically huge sword at that. It was almost as big as him and dragged across the ground turning any silicate immediatly into glass as it sparked dangerously.

The huge thing had time to make a sound of confusion before Alshain was there and with a mighty swing slammed the sword down onto its head, cleaving it in two. Black blood gushed from the body from the pressure differential and splattered across Alshain’s chassis. Then he swung it to the side and caught the narrow creature right through the midsection. It fell in two different directions with a shriek. The sword lingered for a moment more before vanishing.

Alshain collapsed onto his knees. He scrambled to his feet and rushed over to his brother. “You okay? What was that?” He put his hands on Alshain, assured himself he was fine.

“Incredible,” Alshain said, his blue eyes glowing so bright they were almost hard to look at.

“That was the Light,” his Ghost appeared over his shoulder.

“The power of a Guardian,” Alshain’s Ghost also appeared again, looking Alshain over, shell spinning in displeasure at how messy Alshain had gotten.

“How’d you do that?” he asked.

“I dunno. I just did. I felt that pull from the Interceptor,” he looked at the quietly idling machine.

“It’s powered by Arc light. If you have an affinity to it it isn’t a surprise,” his Ghost said.

Then Alshain seemed to come to some sort of sense and looked at him worriedly. “Are you okay? That thing really threw you around, and shot you.”

“Oh. Yeah, just a little topographical damage,” and he went to pat a part of his frame he knew had a bullet hole in it. He knew because he’d felt the bullet rip through the metal on both sides. But when he went to touch it was smooth.

“Hey, we can use some of this,” Alshain’s Ghost was hovering over the broken bodies of the creatures that had attacked them.

“It’s too heavy,” his Ghost said.

Alshain’s Ghost moved their shell in such away over their eye that it could only be described as a scowl. “You’ve been searching too long. We need to make due.”

“I’ve been searching as long as you,” and then they were bickering while scanning and lighting up pieces of the bisected aliens. Or were he and Alshain the aliens? Could a robot be an alien?

“That was a pretty cool thing you did there,” he told Alshain.

“Yeah. I feel spent though. Like all that... what’d they call it? Light? Is just gone out of me.”

Then their Ghosts were back with them and he grimaced as a series of flashing light as he felt his Ghost removing all the sand and grit from his joints and seams and even some that had gotten inside his frame from the explosion and tumbling along the ground. It wasn’t painful but damn if it wasn’t annoying. At least he knew Alshain was in similar discomfort as his Ghost cleaned him out and tried to pry some of the dried blood off him with mixed success. Then before anything else was said a strange shimmering light surrounded them.

“These are so ugly,” Alshain said as he looked down at himself.

“They’re functional,” Alshain’s Ghost said.

“Still ugly.”

“I think they’re fine,” he said looking down at his own armor. It was leather in some places but mostly resembled the chunky armor of the big thing. He didn’t like the helmet. Why’d he need a helmet he was a god damn robot? He liked the muffler. The muffler offered a place for his Ghost to nest and he liked that. He liked it being that close. It was safe there.

“What was that thing anyway?”

“Cabal. And where there’s one, there will be more,” his Ghost said.

“Then we should get going,” he said and went over to the smaller creature. It also had a gun. He picked it up. “What’s this thing?” he pointed at the small creature. No way they were the species. Couldn’t be. Besides the size difference their physiology was all wrong to be the same.

“Psion. Pests,” his Ghost said.

He tried this gun. Click! “Can you do something about this?” he asked his Ghost.

“I’m not well versed in Cabal decrypting,” he admitted. “She might.”

“Ah,” well he’d bring it along for now. If nothing else it itself wa sa projectile he could throw at something.

“Can we drive this thing? They left it running,” Alshain was looking into the Interceptor. It was a glorified seat with a fat front end that shot rockets.

“I dunno, can you drive?” he asked, putting the gun at his side.

“Probably better than you.”

“I thought you didn’t know anything because you hadn’t used those boards in a while,” he teased.

“Oh shut up,” Alshain rolled his eyes. “You can ride in the back for questioning my driving skills.”

He chuckled. “Can you actually drive it?”

Alshain climbed onto the seat. “Let’s see.” And he started touching all the buttons and switches. They both started when the front opened up and shot a rocket. “Okay, not that one!” Then he found the throttle and jetted forward a few dozen feet before stopping. “Ha! Figured it out,” Alshain called to him where he was left standing.

“Didn’t even wait for me to get on!" he called after him and jogged towards the Interceptor.

“Bet we can make it Olympus Mons in record time with this thing,” Alshain’s face worked to make a smile happen. It was more in the eyebrow ridges than the mouth.

“So long as you don’t drive us off a cliff,” he said and climbed onto the Interceptor behind him. Alshain gave him a jab in the stomach for that. Once he got directions from his Ghost he pointed the Interceptor that way and started driving.


	6. Ghost Fragment: Children

Don’t call them fragile.

=-=-=

Honestly none of them interacted or knew a lot about young Guardians. Holborn was really the most experianced. When their ships landed he got out first and looked down on the EXOs. They seemed so small and fragile. Fragile. Not a word to use on EXOs or Guardians. But wrapped up in their scarves and cobbled together Cabal armor they looked like they’d snap under the weight of their gear. His Ghost popped up next to him from the ship, whirling a little as he took in the EXOs.

“Hey, friends,” Holborn called, and raised a hand. Another of the ships landed but the others stayed in formation in the upper atmosphere, doing lazy circles around the peak of Oylmpus Mons, keeping an eye on everything. He’d only brought some of his men with him. The rest had stayed behind to continue their mission. He’d catch up with them once he dealt with this.

“Hello,” the gray and blue one called. At least he thought it did. The EXO had no visible mouth. That was weird. He wasn’t disturbed by it. How many conversations had he had with anyone where they just talked to each other inside their helmets. Here on Mars he barely even saw his Hosts’ faces.

With a grunt Holborn dropped down from his ship and kicked the booster in a few seconds before he hit the ground to land lightly on the soil. “Ain’t every day we get new Guardians out here. Your Ghosts have come a long way to find you, huh?” He looked the Ghosts over. Like most unbonded or recently bonded Ghosts they were the classic white. They’d come upon new shells or their Guardian would paint them or they’d make new ones for them eventually. But for now they were white. It was refreshing, in a way, to see such undecorated Ghosts.

“Yes, we did,” one of the Ghosts said.

“Where’d you find ‘em? Anything interesting where you did?”

“No,” the blue-gray EXO said again. “Just a deep hole, and darkness.”

“Huh. Alright then. So you ... boys?” He paused and the EXOs both nodded. Oh good. It was impossible to tell sometimes under armor. Especially EXOs. “You made it here in one peice through Cabal territory then? Impressive for young Guardians. I’m sure you’re ready for the Tower then?”

“I guess. What’s the Tower?”

Holborn smiled and wished Martian air was still breathable. After the Collapse there hadn’t been enough oxygen producers left to maintain an atmosphere. “Our home. Your home too.” He motioned and one of the ships opened up. Tubauch waved from his cockpit. “That’s Tubauch. He’s gonna take you home.”

“And who are you?” the white and red EXO finally asked. They had a mouth.

Holborn laughed. “Right, shit. Where are my manners? I’m Holborn-

“What’s a host?” he immediatly interrupted.

He could hear Tubauch cackle through his cockpit window as well as over comms. Holborn just chuckled. “It’s a group of Guardians that all follow one leader because they trust them.”

“Oh,” the EXOs looked between each other.

“And who are you?”

“I’m Alshain-2,” said the white and red one. The other one didn’t say.

“And you, friend?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t remember, or have any identifying marks, and haven’t picked one for myself.”

Holborn nodded. “Alright. Lets get you two out of here. We’ve already sent word to the Tower that Tubauch is returning briefly to drop off two new… Hunters looks like,” he nodded to himself. Yeah, they looked like Hunters. Was always hard to tell with new Guardians. Especially between Hunters and Titans. Could always tell a Warlock. They liked those robes of theirs too much. Even Ghosts dressed their new Warlocks in robes if they could manage it. The little Guardians didn’t know either way. “To the Tower. Shouldn’t take but a few hours. Now up ya go,” and he offered his hands to the EXOs. They grabbed them and he pulled them to their feet.

He guided them over to Tubauch’s ship and Tubauch opened the side door. Stairs unrolled and he motioned them on. The EXOs climbed on and he heard Tubauch calling them from the cockpit to take a seat and strap in. Holborn stuck his head in just to wave at the young Guardians and their fresh white Ghosts before stepping back to not get kickback from Tubauch’s ship. The engines thrummed and he grinned when the Splint rocketed off the ground and flew up to get out of Mars’ atmosphere. Holborn got into his own ship to join those keeping an eye on things before telling them to head back to the rest of the Host. As a single unit the ships turned in formation around and headed back towards the Buried City.


	7. EXO 1.0.0.3

Being transmatted was not an experiance he wasn’t sure he would get used to. It made some of his wires tickle. But as soon as he got his bearings next to Trubauch and Alshain he forgot all about the fuzzy feeling transmatting gave him.

Seeing the Tower for the first time had to be like how Alshain described channeling the Light felt.

The courtyard was filled with people— no, not just people, other Guardians- that milled about, chatting by tall pillars or resting on the steps that led up to a magnificent sweeping tower beyond, or hurriedly went about their business, some sprinting across the courtyard at top speed. There was noise everywhere. Chattering Guardians, announcements being spoken over speakers at the top of thin speaker poles, ships flying in the sky to get Guardians or drop them off- all perfectly coordinated and somehow not crashing into one another, and the soft coo pidgeons.

Trubauch grabbed the back of his muffler and pulled him to the side just as shimmer appeared right where he was. A moment later a Guardian transmatted right where he’d been standing. “Best to not stand right on LZ,” he said nicely.

“O-oh, sorry,” he said awkwardly.

“Let’s get you two to Andal, I’m sure he’ll know what to do with you,” though Trubauch sounded unsure even of that.

“Who’s that?” Alshain asked as they followed closely behind Trubauch across the courtyard.

“Hunter Vanguard, your Vanguard. He’ll make sure you’re properly outfitted.”

“Oh. How do you know we’re Hunters? Why couldn’t we be something else?”

Trubauch stopped at the top of a set of stairs that led down into a lower chamber. Even with his helmet on he could imagine the almost patronizing smile he gave them. “Trust me, you’re Hunter. Unless your Ghosts fucked up,” he chuckled and continued down the steps.

“The fuck does that mean?” Alshain whispered to him as they followed Trubauch.

“We know you’re Hunters. Its the way the Light called you,” Alshain’s Ghost said.

“Oh,” Alshain said, metal eyebrows folding across his brows in a frown.

Trubauch stopped at a human man in a chair, feet on the long table, reading off a glass tablet. Maybe it was reports. To his eyes before the human put it down it looked almost like trashy romance. “Trubauch, what are you doing back here? Holborn finally let you go?”

“You didn’t get my transmission?”

“Transmission. Transmission transmission,” he pulled the tablet back up and for a moment his face was guilty. “Oh right. Just slipped my mind,” he said to save face.

Trubauch didn’t sigh but there was a movement of his shoulders like one. “These are the Hunters the Host picked up on Olympus Mons,” he motioned to the both of them. He gave an awkward wave.

“Oh, yes. Wonderful. Always love to have new Hunters around,” he got to his feet. “I’m Vanguard Andal Brask,” he was all professional now.

“I trust I can leave them with you,” Trubauch said, didn’t wait for an answer, and left.

“Bye,” he called after Trubauch, and the older Guardian just raised a hand but didn’t turn around.

“So you two are fresh from Mars huh?” Andal asked, drawing his attention back to him.

“They are,” his Ghost said.

“Great. So what do we call you, huh?”

“I’m Alshain-2,” Alshain said. “This is my brother,” he nodded at him. He didn’t offer a name beyond that.

“Your brother?” Andal fished for a name.

“I don’t have a name. Yet,” he shrugged.

“Really? You sure? I thought EXOs woke up knowing their names,” Andal said thoughtfully. “Way easier than going through fifteen to find the right one,” he said more to himself.

He shrugged. “I don’t,” he said.

Andal glanced at his Ghost and his Ghost bobbed in the air as a nod. “Well. No matter. What does matter is you both made it here in one place. I’m sure Mars didn’t treat you well so let’s find you a place to relax,” and he pulled out his tablet again, scrolling through it. “I’d show you around myself but I’m very busy right now.” He looked at their Ghosts, “Affinity? Or nothing strong yet?”

“Arc,” Alshain’s Ghost supplied.

“Awesome. Love a good Bladedancer,” Andal made a note in his tablet. “And you, kid?”

“He hasn’t used the Light yet,” his Ghost said and for some reason that admission made him uncomfortable. Especially with the odd look Andal had on his face like that was somehow odd.

“Huh. Okay. I’ll just put Solar for now. If you’re like your brother we can change it,” he said casually. “Guardians from the same area tend to be liken affinity wise,” he continued as explaination.

“Why?” Alshain asked.

“Why what?”

“Why would we share the same affinity for Light?”

It was Andal’s turn to look uncomfortable. But just for a moment. He casually brushed his hair out of his eyes to hide it. “That is a question well above my pay grade, kid. You’ll have to ask the Speaker.” Down the table there was a short laugh. Andal glanced over his shoulder, “Something to add, Commander Osiris?”

“No no, not at all,” Osiris, whoever the fuck that was, said, not looking up from his stack of paperwork.

“Anyway,” Andal continued. “Just hang out here a minute. I called another Hunter down to show you somewhere you can rest up.”

“Then what?” he asked.

“Well its getting late now. So we’ll start tomorrow, getting you ready for what it means to be a Guardian,” Andal said.

He glanced at Alshain and saw Alshain doing the same. “Which is, what, exactly?” he asked.

Down the table Osiris let out about short laugh. This time he was reprimanded by the helmeted man at the table across from Andal. Andal rolled his eyes at Osiris. “Didn’t your Ghosts tell you anything?”

“They said when we got to the Tower all our questions would be answered,” Alshain said. He looked over Andal’s shoulder to see Osiris just look amused. He didn’t get what was so amusing.

“We also said you were the Traveler’s chosen to protect humanity,” his Ghost said, annoyed with Alshain. “But I know it went in one ear and out the other for you.”

Alshain looked like he wanted to say something else but didn’t. Probably best not to have the argument about humanity in front of the leader of the Guardians. “That is the long and short of it, yes,” Andal said. “We were chosen by the Traveler, through your Ghost, to defend the last remains of humanity from the Darkness. If you want to get deeper than that you’ll have to ask a Warlock,” that got another eye roll “Or the Speaker.”

Another Guardian appeared next to them and then immediatly draped themself over Andal’s shoulder. “Sup boss, you call?” Another EXO!

“A little respect in front of the new Hunters, Cayde,” Andal huffed.

“What? No lie? New Hunters?” he looked at them brightly, his mouth forming something like a cheerful grin. Admittedly he hadn’t seen a lot of EXOs but the dead ones down in the pit with him and Alshain had looked nothing like this Cayde. He looked more human in the face than either of them, except for the horn sticking out of his forehead. How did he wear a helmet with that thing? Maybe Cayde was of the same opinion as him and helmets were stupid things for an EXO to wear. “Hey, I’m Cayde-6,” he offered a rough gloved hand.

“Alshain-2,” Alshain shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you,” he also shook Cayde’s hand. Cayde didn’t let his hand go and gave him a confused look. He awkwardly continued, “I haven’t found mine yet.”

That was the wrong thing to say. Cayde’s entire face perked up. “No lie? Well don’t you worry, sport, we’ll find you a good one.” The lights along his jaw pulses anxiously. Why did he not like the sound of that.

“If you’re quite done I did call you down here for a reason,” Andal said.

“Yeap, whatever you say, boss man.”

“I need you to escort these two Hunters to their new living arrangements, and make sure their Ghosts know where to send them in the morning,” Andal said in what he imagined was Andal’s best ‘this is serious Cayde’ voice.

“Pshh, easy as pie,” Cayde declared. He finally got off Andal’s shoulder.

Andal looked at Cayde’s Ghost who was floating just behind his shoulder. “I transmitted the information to you.”

“We’ll get it done,” she said and cast a look at her Guardian.

“Alright sport, Alshain, let’s show you the digs,” Cayde beckoned them to follow.

Alshain lagged behind briefly. “Can we see the Speaker tomorrw?” he asked Andal.

“If he’s got an availability,” Andal said. He grabbed Alshain’s arm. Cayde wasn’t waiting for them, he was just going forward, talking but he was already almost out of earshot.

Alshain had his arms folded as they caught up to Cayde who was going on about the facilities in the Tower. They weren’t really paying attention. “Didn’t answer a god damn thing,” Alshain grumbled under his breath.

“Give it time,” Alshain’s Ghost said. “Everything’s so new. You’ll get answers.”

“I mean we got one answer,” he said, both of them still ignoring Cayde.

“Yeah, what’s that?” Alshain asked, bitter still.

“That’s the Traveler,” he pointed out beyond the Tower to the huge sphere suspended above the City.

“Yeah. But what is it?” Alshain pressed.

“You sure he’s not a Warlock?” his Ghost asked, annoyed as always.

“I know what he is,” Alshain’s Ghost snapped back. He and his Ghost had never heard her anything but nervous or pleasant. To hear her snappy was a shock. “You worry about your Guardian and I’ll worry about mine,” her shell folded over her glowing eye in a scowl.

“Ah, don’t let him get to you,” Alshain said. “I’d be pretty pissed too if my Guardian didn’t have a name or ‘have an affinity’ to a type of Light,” he teased him. He shoved Alshain playfully.

“Hey! You two! Quit dawdling, we got lots to see before we get down to the residential levels,” Cayde called, standing on top of a short flight of stairs. Alshain rolled his eyes and they quickly joined the older Hunter for the rest of the tour.


	8. Alshain 2.0.0.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey remember the Speaker? Remember when there was huge spinmetal foil conspiracy that he was evil back in D1? Good times. Good times.

Being a Guardian was complicated.

Or maybe just the way they wanted you to be a Guardian was complicated.

Alshain sat watching his brother in the fireing range. A litany of guns were displayed on the table in front of him. He’d empty one, take the next mag out of the air as his Ghost fabricated it just within reach, reload, put it down, pick up the next one, repeat. He was really good at it too. At the standard issue Guardian stuff. Fireing a gun, helping his Ghost dismantle gear, being able to just look a gun over and know if the stock was good, the barrel right, the feel of it strong. He was good at Guardian stuff Guardians should have been good at.

Alshain wasn’t.

His aim was terrible. He always got tangled up in sapphire wire. He needed his brother to tell him if a gun was worth his time. And they were all fine. Who fucking cared. It was a gun. You point the hurty end at what you wanted to shoot and you shot it. He didn’t get the firefight or their Hunter instructor waxed poetic about gun feel. They always sighed that Alshain couldn’t do it well. That he wasn’t like his well acclimated brother.

At least he could use the Light.

He felt bad thinking that though. It wasn’t his brother’s fault. He did know watching Alshain learning and succeeding in making solid Light constructs or explosive Light grenades made his brother feel like shit. He tried and tried but couldn’t get it. Light sparked and sputtered in his hands but he couldn’t even light a match with a flick of his thumb. According to their Gunslinger instructor on Light any Gunslinger or Bladedancer could do that. But his brother couldn’t.

When his brother had finished that round the Hunter helping them clapped. “Awesome work. I don’t think you need the help anymore. I’ll tell Andal you’re up for live fire.”

“Great, thanks,” his brother said awkwardly, the lights along his jaw flashing like a smile. They both knew that’d never happen until he could do something with the Light. A Guardian was just a solider that couldn’t die without a use of the Light.

“You next, Alshain,” the Gunslinger said.

“Can I pass Bragg?” Alshain complained.

“Nope,” Bragg smiled widely, his teeth extra bright against his dark blue skin. Alshain sighed and got up. “Let me give Andal the same report for the both of you for once,” he said and it wasn’t supposed to be mean but it sounded mean spirited to Alshain.

His Ghost appeared next to him as he stood at the table of guns. One of each type. Down the range was a series of paper dummies with images of Cabal, Vex, or Fallen printed on them. He picked up a hand canon first and sighted down the range. He was never ready for a hand canon’s kick and it nearly flew out of his hand. The first shot went wildly wide. He knew he didn’t have to empty to magazine as fast as his brother. They cared about accuracy, not speed. Speed, Bragg said, would come. And he wanted to not have to come back here if his brother wouldn’t be.

He emptied the hand canon down range after focusing as hard as he could. The holes were all roughly head or gut area. Killing area. His Ghost created a quick reloader with another set of bullets in it. He emptied the canon, reloaded, put it down, picked up an auto rifle. He took his time to just cut the paper dummy’s head off. With mixed results with each gun he went through each one until he’d put down the last one. Then he looked at Bragg hopefully. But the look was hidden behind hid helmet.

“Not bad Alshain. Your accuracy went way up since last time. You been practicing?”

No. He just didn’t want to come here anymore. He didn’t say that. “Yeah, my brother’s been helping me,” he lied instead. “I figured I’d still suck.”

“Well you won’t be a Crucible god with that aim but I’m going to send Andal the good news you’re also up for live fire.”

Alshain actually did smile. Finally! “Great.”

“Don’t forget to pick up your gun from Banshee once it goes through. Can’t have you two going out there with a pea shooter.”

“Right.”

“Good talk. Alright, you’re both free to go. Come back if you want to practice.”

“Sure.” More like never. Bragg waved bye to them as they left. “Finally,” he huffed once they were out of the firing range.

“It wasn’t that bad,” his brother said and laughed when Alshain sent him a glare. He shrugged good naturedly. “You are a lot better than when we started,” he added.

Alshain stopped at the railing and looked at the Traveler. “Where to next?” Alshain asked.

His brother’s mouth light flickered a series of colors he’d learned to interpret as a grimace. “Well you’re live fire ready. I figured I should probably, maybe, get myself live fire ready too.”

Alshain looked at him. “Sorry.”

“Not your fault,” he shrugged. “Maybe once I figure out the Light I’ll get a genius idea for a name.”

“Pft, better than Cayde sending you twenty messages a day with name ideas,” Alshain said.

“Oh, I have those muted,” he said cheerfully. Alshain laughed. “Want to come?”

“I’ll be along,” he said slowly. “I wanted to look at something.”

“Sure,” his brother read him immediatly. Maybe not on what about but he knew half of it was his sword. “Well I’ll see you back home,” and he walked off to go see if he could make a fireball, or sparks, or anything.

Alshain watched the Traveler for a while. It was still early morning, the sky still soft and yellow at the edges. He contemplated the Traveler and finally left the railing and went down the stairs to the western half of the Tower. The part he’d never really been. Most Guardians didn’t have much reason to go there.

It was quiet in the western part of the Tower. The mortals hadn’t come up to the top to go about their business yet and there were no Guardians. The huge cosmic three dimensional astrolabe turned slowly on silent gears. Then, like always, he saw the Speaker at the top of the stairs.

Andal hadn’t lied but he hadn’t been truthful either. They’d been here days and he’d never gotten a meeting with the Speaker. No one had answered all his questions. And he was burning with them.

He climbed the stairs up to the Speaker’s perch. If the Speaker noticed him he made no indication he had. “Excuse me,” he said quietly. When the Speaker noticed and turned to look at him with he said eyeless mask he felt suddenly very rude. He yanked his own helmet off. “I uh— I wanted to speak with you,” he said, all at once nervous.

The Speaker turned to him casually. “Of course, Alshain-2, what did you wish to speak of.”

A shock of current rippled down his synthetic spine. How did he know Alshain’s name? “It’s just,” he started, stumbling foolishly. The inpenatrable mask was worse than any Guardian helmet. “I have so many questions.”

“So do we all,” the Speaker said wisely. “I will answer as many as I can, but I’m just a man. I don’t have all the answers.”

“Why? Why me? Why my brother?”

“Such is the fickle nature of things isn’t it?” The Speaker asked. “Who can say why the Light chose you. It is unknowable.” He didn’t like that answer. “But it saw within you something powerful, something good. Do you worry who you were before you were risen?”

“I was risen from a scrap yard. I wasn’t anyone,” Alshain said. The Speaker cocked his head like he hadn’t considered that. “The Traveler, what is it?”

“Our saving Light in these dark times. It protected us when the Darkness came and destroyed our way of life during the Golden Age, plunging us into a very dark time,” he sounded so morose.

“And what’s the Darkness?”

The Speaker chuckled, “Depending on which theology you abide by it is any number of things. For today’s line of questioning let us surmise that it is simply the opposite of Light, in all things. And thus makes it our sworn enemy as is anything and one who is drawn by its call.”

That wasn’t an answer. None of this shit was an answer. “I see,” he said slowly. He wasn’t getting answere with this. “Does the Traveler speak to you? Could I ask it something?”

“I speak for the Traveler, yes,” the Speaker said.

Alshain was quiet a moment. “Could you ask it why it didn’t give my brother an easy grasp on the Light?”

The Speaker’s shoulders shifted but his actual reaction was unknowable. “I will. Was that all you wished to ask, child?”

“For now. You’ve given me stuff to think about.”

“I will always be here, if you have the need,” the Speaker said.

“Thank you,” he gave the Speaker the official Hunter salute. It looked pretty, neat and orderly. He got the feeling the Speaker would appreciate it. “Good day, Speaker,” and then he left.

As he walked back to his quarters he couldn’t help but think that the Speaker hadn’t answered any of his questions. Wouldn’t someone give him a god damn straight answer in this place?!


	9. Alshain 2.0.0.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the chapter I was expecting to write but I like it anyway. Alshain gets to meet Bird Dad number 1 next chapter lol

In their, temporary, quarters Alshain and his brother were looking at knife schematics. Every Hunter had their preferred knife style for throwing or stabbing. Their Ghosts were turning the same glimmer into different style knives for them to test. His brother kept throwing his to see if he liked it. Alshain hadn’t been taught how to knife throw past the ‘throw it blade first’ which seemed weird but it worked. As a major Arc affinity Hunter he wasn’t expected to know how to throw a knife.

That annoyed him to no end. Why not?

“Bro,” he said as his Ghost made the knife reappear in his hand.

“Yeah?” he scrolled to a new knife schematic and his grumpy ass Ghost made it appear in his hand.

“Will you teach me how to throw a knife?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I want to know.”

“You can’t even channel Solar Light-

“So what?” Alshain couldn’t help but explode. For a second he felt static crackle in his jaw, coming out as sparks. “Why can’t I learn it all? Huh? Just because some older Hunters say Bladedancers are a way doesn’t mean I gotta be like them. I’m not like them,” he ended more as a grumble.

His brother stared at him silently. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” he spat out.

“You sure? You’ve gotten so weird since we came here.”

Alshain rubbed the side of his face. “Have I?”

“Yeah. You seemed better on Mars. You’re so moody here.”

“It’s just... no one gives me any good answers,” he grumbled. “Why can’t my arc blade be big? Why do I have to be good at shooting? Why won’t they teach my knife throwing until I show Solar affinity? Why am I even fucking here? I didn’t ask to be brought back from the dead!”

“No, but you did say yes when I asked,” his Ghost said softly. “You wanted to know what that would be like.”

Alshain looked at his Ghost softly.

“Told you he should have been a Warlock,” his brother’s Ghost said.

“You shut up,” Alshain and his Ghost both said at the same time. “Can’t you make him be nice?” he asked his brother.

His brother just grabbed his Ghost and shoved him down the front of his shirt. “Sorry. He’s frustrated too. With me,” he said softly.

“And that! Why the fuck can’t you use the Light? Can’t spark, can’t smolder. No one’s got any fucking answers about that. They just say ‘try harder’ like you aren’t trying as hard as you can,” he grabbed his knife and slammed it point first into the table with a frustrated growl. “I hate not knowing shit,” he growled.

“Have you asked?”

“Yes,” he bit out. “I asked the Speaker. He didn’t tell me anything useful, helpful, or otherwise interesting. He answered me without answering a single one of my questions.”

“Hmmm,” his brother was thoughtful. Everyone said Alshain was the cool collected one. That he was the model standoffish Hunter. Didn’t like fraternizing with others, came in, did the job, left; didn’t talk to people unless he had to. Not a few of the Hunters helping him learn to be a ‘real’ Hunter commented he’d make a good offworld Hunter, whatever that meant. But the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. His brother was actually the mellow one, quick thinking and calm. Alshain was always just a breath away from being frustrated and yelling at someone. “Well I think Andal said that if you couldn’t talk to the Speaker then the next best thing would be to talk to a Warlock. They know a lot about all sorts of stuff.”

“We don’t know any Warlocks,” Alshain tried not to be bitter. Their interactions with other Guardians had been monopolized by Hunters. Alshain only knew Warlocks or Titans by the different armor they wore and their marks. While he wouldn’t trade his hood for the sun or moon he did think the robes some Warlocks wore were pretty cool.

“Well there’s always one Warlock we could ask,” his brother said. “Commander Osiris is a Warlock.”

“Yeah, go talk to the busiest guy in the Tower, sounds like a great idea,” Alshain rolled his eyes.

“Andal said the Vanguard is there for all Guardians.”

“I don’t know if you noticed, bro, but Andal doesn’t look like he knows what he’s doing half the time,” more grumbling.

“You going to be sullen and pissy about this or try and get some answers?” his brother was starting to get annoyed with him. “I’m sure other Guardians have had these questions, these doubts. If the Speaker didn’t give you the answer you wanted go ask a Guardian, like the highest one. Geeze,” his brother slumped in his chair.

They were quiet for a while. “What if no one answers my questions?” Alshain asked softly.

“Then fuck ‘em,” his brother said. “Once we’re both live fire ready we can leave the Tower and never come back. Maybe be Guardians still but some of the others say that far seeking Hunters are gone for months, years, decades even before they come back to the Tower. That could be us.”

“You’d do that too?”

“Well if nothing else maybe seeing the world will help me find my name. Not like the bombardment I get is helpful,” he rubbed his face. Yeah. His poor brother. Once word had gotten out that the newest Hunter in the Tower didn’t know their name it was just a constant stream of suggestions. All well meaning but ultimately unhelpful. An EXO had a name. It was the name that was part f their very being, their code and memories, and personhood from when they were flesh. You could call yourself something else for a while but eventually you needed your name. Your real name.

Silence lapsed between them. “You really think I should go ask Osiris?”

“Yeah. I do. He’s the only Warlock we know, and he’s the leader of the Warlocks. That means he’s gotta know like five times as much, right?”

“I guess,” he pulled the knife out of the table. “Will you still teach me how to throw knives?”

“Sure,” his brother said, as gracious as ever. “You going to be okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks,” he sighed.

His brother tugged his collar wide and his Ghost floated out of it, shell curved down. His brother nudged him with a finger. “I’m sorry I was inappropriate earlier,” the Ghost said, his own glowing eye looking right at Alshain.

“I mean with a fuck like my bro I’d be pissed too,” Alshain said.

“I can and will throw this knife at your head, you know,” his brother threatened weakly, pointing the knife towards Alshain.

“So scared,” he said sarcastically.

“Come over here, I’ll show you how to land blade size every time,” he beckoned and Alshain got up from the table and joined his brother on the other side of the table.


	10. Alshain 2.0.1.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still bitter Bungie made Osiris an _old man_. Like cmon Bungie. The strongest Warlock there’s been, and one of the coolest and he’s a bald old man with a beard? The wizard trope sucks. In this story Osiris just looks like his VA because that’s spicy.

The Hall of the Vanguard was always busy but also always empty. Half the Guardians just wanted to talk to Shaxx or the weapon vender Alshain had never bothered to remember the name of. Arcadia? Arcane? Armada? Whatever. Normal people manned stations in the Hall, monitoring comms, helping run logistics, handing out patrols, sent fireteams to the right places to strike. None of those things Alshain had ever done yet.

It was midday and most of the stations were empty. Even Shaxx was gone, to go stuff his face during lunch and his frame was having to deal with whiny Guardians wanting updates on the next Crucible match.

Andal wasn’t at his station. He’d left his tablet there. Not work related. Something else had pulled him away. The Titan Vanguard, who Alshain had only learned yesterday was named Saint-14- and everyone had been shocked and appaled Alshain didn’t know despite being at the Tower all of a week- was also absent. But Osiris was a constant fixture in the Hall, even now. He was going over and endless stack of paperwork.

Alshain was dressed down for this. No need to wear full armor and helm just to talk to the Commander. Right? Shit what if he should have? He was having second thoughts now. But he was already within arms’ reach of Osiris. There wasn’t any backing down.

Osiris noticed him immediatly. “Can I help you, Hunter?” Osiris asked, casual.

“Uh... yes, sir. I was wondering if you had the time to talk?”

Osiris finally looked at him, curious. “Ah, you’re that Hunter from Mars, yes? Andal’s new young one?”

“If you want to say that, sure,” Alshain said, trying to keep his voice even. He hated being treated like a child just because he was a new Guardian. “I just... I have some questions my Hunter friends don’t seem to be able to answer.”

“Ah. Heh, have to tried asking the Speaker?” Osiris didn’t even bother trying to hide the contempt in his voice.

“I did, yes,” Alshain said. “He didn’t have the answers I wanted either.”

That surprised Osiris. Alshain got the impression Osiris wasn’t an easy guy to surprise. “Really now?”

“No. He did answer me but he didn’t address what I actually wanted to know.”

“And what makes you think I know more than our illustrious Speaker?”

“May I be frank, sir?”

“I would ask you to be nothing else, Hunter,” he allowed.

“You don’t hide your face behind a mask and seclude yourself from everyone. You’re here, with us Guardians. I have questions about being a Guardian. And I was told Warlocks know a lot about a lot of stuff. So if you don’t have an answer for me then there isn’t an answer, and I’d let it go.”

Osiris was really looking at him now. Curious, his dark eyes piercing. “What’s your name, Hunter?”

“Alshain-2, sir,” he said.

“Well Alshain-2 I’m very busy at this very moment but I do take private audiences in my office.” He picked a tablet up from the desk and flicked through it, tapping on something and then typed something one handed on a circular keyboard designed for one handed typing. “How does that sound?”

“O-oh, yes, that’s fine, sir,” he stammered.

Osiris tapped something on the tablet. “It’s been transmitted to your Ghost. They’ll help you find the right office.”

Alshain was floored. “Thank you, sir.”

“I’ll see you later this evening, Alshain-2,” he said.

“Yes, sir,” and he gave Osiris the casual Hunter salute. It was effectly touching the temple and then pointing at the person with two fingers. Osiris looked privately amused and Alshain felt not a little giddy when the Vanguard Commander responded with a Warlock hand sign Alshain knew was a response to the salute. “We’ll be there,” and then he left the Vanguard Hall. As he was people were coming back in, coming back from lunch.


End file.
